Jayaram

Jayaram, born December 10, 1964, straight outta Perumbavoor, Kerala, seriously feels like one of those guys who’s been around forever—but in the best way. If you’ve dipped your toes into South Indian cinema even once, you’ve probably seen his face. Dude’s been in a wild range of movies, but you wanna talk about standouts? Thuppakki (2012) had him flexing his acting chops in a full-on action-packed thriller, and then, boom, more than a decade later he pops up in Mani Ratnam’s massive epic, Ponniyin Selvan (2022) and its even bigger sequel, Ponniyin Selvan: Part II (2023). It’s actually wild how he can swing from comedy to drama to, like, full-blown historical spectacle without missing a beat. Beyond the big screen, Jayaram’s got this old-school charm mixed with a goofy, relatable energy that’s made him a household name, especially in Malayalam cinema (but don’t sleep on his Tamil roles either). Off-camera, he’s married to Parvathi—they’re kind of a couple goals situation, honestly—and they’ve got two kids. You can tell he’s got that family-man vibe, which probably keeps him grounded even when he’s out there playing kings, soldiers, or just the lovable everyman. What’s cool is, Jayaram’s not just a one-trick pony. He’s done everything from slapstick comedy to intense drama, and somehow he makes it all look effortless. If you’re new to his work, Thuppakki and the Ponniyin Selvan series are a solid place to start. Trust—once you see him in action, you’ll totally get why he’s such a big deal.